Article: LA Minimum Wage Law

The Los Angeles City Council and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors have approved a measure to increase the minimum wage from $9.00 to $15.00 an hour by 2020. This nearly 67 percent increase from the current state minimum wage of $9.00 will affect private-sector businesses in both the City of Los Angeles and unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County including Hacienda Heights, La Crescenta, and Marina Del Rey.

Los Angeles’ minimum wage hike will be executed over five years: $10.50 in 2016; $12.00 in 2017; $13.25 in 2018; $14.25 in 2019; and $15.00 in 2020, each increase taking effect on July 1. Smaller businesses with fewer than 26 employees will be given additional time to comply with the minimum wage increases as follows: $10.50 in 2017; $12.00 in 2018; $13.25 in 2019; $14.00 in 2020; and $15.00 in 2021.

By 2020, Los Angeles’ minimum wage will more than double the current federal rate of $7.25. Los Angeles will join the ranks of several other California cities which have adopted their own local minimum wage rates. San Francisco has approved a similar graduated minimum wage hike which increases the minimum wage to $15.00 by 2018.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has already signed the City’s minimum wage increase into law. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, having approved a proposal that would mirror the City’s graduated minimum wage hike, will consider signing the proposal into law for unincorporated areas of the County later this year.

If you have any questions regarding your company’s pay practices in light of the coming changes to the minimum wage rate, you should contact competent employment counsel.

About the author:

Susan Arduengo is an Associate at Friedman Stroffe & Gerard, P.C. Susan specializes in representing businesses in all aspects of employment law, including counseling/advice, compliance, litigation prevention, single plaintiff litigation, and class actions. Contact her at sarduengo@fsglawyers.com or 949.265.1133.

This article is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact legal counsel to obtain advice with respect to your particular issues.